Hirschhorn Castle

Burg Hirschhorn stands above the Neckar on a spur of the Stöckberg, overlooking the old town of Hirschhorn on the border between Hesse and Baden-Württemberg. Built on a south-facing ridge, it once controlled the Neckar valley and the exits of the Finkenbach and Ulfenbach valleys. The castle complex stretches from the main stronghold down through upper and lower baileys to the edge of the town. The castle’s long life—more than eight centuries of building phases—makes its layout hard to grasp at first sight. The oldest parts, including a massive north-facing shield wall and a deep neck ditch, belong to the main castle. Below it, the upper bailey holds a bastion and the round ‘Prison Tower’. The lower bailey contains stables and a southern watchtower that also forms part of the town wall. Hans V. of Hirschhorn began the unified defences around 1391, finishing them early in the 15th century. Visitors enter past the upper bailey’s gatehouse and walk through a largely open courtyard. The main palace, rebuilt in the 16th century as the Hatzfeld wing, still rises beside the 26-metre-high keep. The old chapel on the first floor now hosts the registry office for civil weddings. A small gatekeeper’s house sits in the middle of the site, while the rest of the interior court and the keep are freely accessible.